Article about Black Athletes and the NCAA

[OldSchoolLion]

This article offers some interesting perspectives.  ..just sharing...no political motivations for doing so. 

https://www.theroot.com/just-a-reminder-the-ncaa-is-a-plantation-and-the-play-1793877559

I will say, it was upsetting to hear of 3 past/present Clemson football players being arrested this past week.  Of the thousands of kids who don't make it to the pros, some say, "Well, at least they are better off having a college degree." (assuming they actually get one).  For some that may be true. 

But many of these kids have the most basic of needs and are missing the most basic of skills to succeed in life.  Giving them a college education is like giving a knife and fork to someone stranded on an island with no food.  Some folks are kidding themselves thinking are our current athletic system is making a dent in the socioeconomic imbalances that exist today.  That is why I am working with some good folks to start a program to provide internships for underprivileged youth that can lead them to jobs.  Some in academia  don't want to hear this, but you don't need a college degree to make a decent living.  My best friend has a GED and easily makes six figures per year in his business.          

 

[DarterBlue2]

Individuals should seek training in the areas where their prior preparation and innate ability best suit them. For some that is college. For others it is something else. 

At the end of the day, it's about being able to support oneself and dependents and being able to contribute to society when your playing days are over.

College is fine for athletes that have a decent shot at the pros or come in prepared to take advantage of the academic opportunities it provides. For others, it literally ends up being a wasted four years. It all depends on the kid's circumstances, aptitude and  attitude. 

[FloTech]

Pretty sure it ain't just Black athletes but OK SMH 

[OldSchoolLion]

1 hour ago, FloTech said:

Pretty sure it ain't just Black athletes but OK SMH 

You are right, it's not just black athletes, Flotech.  The "black athlete" is what hits you in the face, though.  Look at the statistics...2/3 of black kids growing up with a single parent, black kids 5 times more likely to be detained in youth incarceration, 1 in 15 black males are in prison...it goes on an on.  We have all these black athletes getting college scholarships, but...what's wrong with this picture?

A substantial number of these kids are are going to be lacking a positive male figure in their life who they can model themselves after to leverage a college degree and become a success in business.  Even with a college degree, a kid walking off campus without a penny in his pocket, with no short-term job prospects, who is hungry and knows how to make quick money is going to be subjected to some powerful forces pulling him in the wrong direction...like these kids from Clemson.

There are some parallels with the prison system.  Unless the individual getting out of prison gains employment very quickly and has a strong, positive support system, the chance of going back is very high. If midway through college they pulled a kid aside and said "Hey, it looks like you are not going to make the pros so we are going to start working on getting you set up for a career in...."  We know that is not happening.  So, it's up to us older fellas to seek these kids out and mentor them...until the system gets changed in a way to better set the kids up for success when football is over, ie allowing them to walk out of college without returning to an impoverished lifestyle.    

 

[FloTech]

51 minutes ago, OldSchoolLion said:

You are right, it's not just black athletes, Flotech.  The "black athlete" is what hits you in the face, though.  Look at the statistics...2/3 of black kids growing up with a single parent, black kids 5 times more likely to be detained in youth incarceration, 1 in 15 black males are in prison...it goes on an on.  We have all these black athletes getting college scholarships, but...what's wrong with this picture?

A substantial number of these kids are are going to be lacking a positive male figure in their life who they can model themselves after to leverage a college degree and become a success in business.  Even with a college degree, a kid walking off campus without a penny in his pocket, with no short-term job prospects, who is hungry and knows how to make quick money is going to be subjected to some powerful forces pulling him in the wrong direction...like these kids from Clemson.

There are some parallels with the prison system.  Unless the individual getting out of prison gains employment very quickly and has a strong, positive support system, the chance of going back is very high. If midway through college they pulled a kid aside and said "Hey, it looks like you are not going to make the pros so we are going to start working on getting you set up for a career in...."  We know that is not happening.  So, it's up to us older fellas to seek these kids out and mentor them...until the system gets changed in a way to better set the kids up for success when football is over, ie allowing them to walk out of college without returning to an impoverished lifestyle.    

 

Who made these statistics up the White Man did of course everything negative is going to be put on us and Latinos SMH 

[Pipe Dreams]

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